Monday, April 16, 2018

The 49th Mystic by Ted Dekker

Ted Dekker returns to the world of The Circle series he created fifteen-some years ago.
In The 49th Mystic we find a girl named Rachelle, same name as Ted's daughter - I feel kinda bad for his other children left out, who will become this titled character.

Just like in the novels Black, Red, White, and Green, two worlds are accessed through dreams. While there are cameos of familiar Circle characters, Ted has said that this book along with its sequel are stand-alone novels.

Rachelle lives in a secluded community that abides by the Law of God under the guidance of the community leader. God has rules and followers of God must live by those rules.

Then the villain shows up, calls into question their way of life and the community is thrown into chaos. If this was your first time reading a Dekker book, you'd wonder if this was actually the hero because you'd swear there was some truth mixed in with what he's saying.

If you have read Dekker's Books of History Chronicles, this book will feel very familiar. You have the dreaming of two worlds through books and blood, you have the villain showing up in a town and creating havok with the townspeople where one young person is to figure it all out and put a stop to it.

You have the questions of "what is real and what is fabricated?"

It all feels very familiar.

Ted has said that this is the culmination of everything he has written. I can go with that, sure. But as I was reading through The 49th Mystic, I kept thinking, "this is like Showdown", "this part is like Sinner", "this is like that part in The Priest's Graveyard", "this part is like Skin".

Rachelle now has quests in both worlds. What happens in one directly affects what happens in the other. The stakes are high and the consequences are dire.

There are a number of shocking deaths.

It is clear by now that Ted has had a spiritual experience that he wants to share with as many people as he possibly can. I have discovered, when novelists have a similar experience, their books are preachy than plot.

There is a character in Other Earth who is a kind of sage for Rachelle. He is used to preach Ted's new philosophy of our relationship with God. There are pages and pages of him preaching this new way of thinking to Rachelle (and us). I don't remember Dekker's writing anything like this until his A.D. 30 & 33 books.

I really enjoy Ted Dekker books. I have every novel that he's written. Here lately, I've not been able to connect or enjoy them as I once used to.

So it must just be me because these newer books are impacting a great number of readers.